Dr. Cynthia J. Felton serves as Artistic Director of The Ethnomusicology Library of American Heritage, a library that features a collection of sources that explores the study of music from a social and cultural aspect.

Currently based in Los Angeles, Cynthia is active as a performer and an educator. Her background prepared her well for both career areas. She has a Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music, a Master of Arts degree from New York University in Jazz Performance, and a Doctorate in Jazz Studies from the University of Southern California. Continue reading →

There were numerous legendary and unsung artists that climb their way to the top of the music charts nationally and internationally during the sixties. The multi-faceted soul music icon Curtis Mayfield was one of them. Mayfield humbly who stood tall among the giants in the industry and paved the way for an army of inspiring singers-songwriters.

Mayfield was considered the cornerstone of Chicago Soul with his signature falsetto vocal style charm and memorable songs like Gypsy Woman, People Get Ready, and Keep on Pushing that he recorded with the fabulous Impressions. It was only a matter of time before he moved onto to re-invent himself as a solo artist and soon developed a new flavor of soul, creative funk, and movie soundtracks like “Superfly” in the seventies. Continue reading →

International Jazz Day to be Celebrated with All-Star Concerts in Paris, New Orleans and New York Video Streams of all 3 Concerts Live on Jazz Day and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz

Herbie Hancock

On Friday, April 27, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock will kick-off the first annual International Jazz Day with a full day of events including live performances, Master Classes, and discussions featuring Marcus Miller, Barbara Hendricks, Hugh Masekela, Dee Dee Bridgewater, plus much more. Please visit http://unesco.org for complete details.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB.com) – Curtis Mayfield ranks among the most important and influential artists of the past century, the definition of soul both as leader of the Impressions and as a solo artist. As a singer and musician, his pure tone melted hearts and as a songwriter, he was peerless, a voice of African-American pride as well as a man whose insights into the ways of the heart spoke to generations.

Jazz Soul Seven, IMPRESSIONS OF CURTIS MAYFIELD

Mayfield’s impact on artists of all persuasions is incalculable, and jazz musicians have long found much in his words and melodies to inspire new interpretations. Impressions of Curtis Mayfield (available everywhere April 17th) is a new collection of a dozen reimaginings of some of the late, great soul man’s most potent compositions, recorded by a collective of jazz aces calling themselves the Jazz Soul Seven: Terri Lyne Carrington–-drums, Russ Ferrante—piano, the late Master Henry Gibson—percussion, Bob Hurst—bass, Wallace Roney—trumpet, Phil Upchurch—guitar, and Ernie Watts—saxophone. Each of these players is a giant in his or her own right, who brings to these timeless songs a lifetime of experience and knowledge. Produced by Brian Brinkerhoff, co-produced by Upchurch, and recorded by Andy Waterman at The Bakery in North Hollywood, California, Impressions of Curtis Mayfield forces a rethink of just how rich and durable is the catalog of Curtis Mayfield, who passed away in 1999, more than nine years after suffering a paralyzing accident that never stopped him from spreading his message.

“Quincy Jones has been known for bringing together a multitude of talented individuals and creating projects, in the same way Terri can be thought of as Quenelle Jonelle, the female version that mirrors Quincy, bringing together a talented cast of female artists.” – Sam Archer, Philadelphia Examiner

The 54th Annual GRAMMY® Awards brought Hebert-Carrington Media co-founder Terri Lyne Carrington her first GRAMMY® Award as a leader for her ambitious cross-genre production, The Mosaic Project. Her debut album on Concord Jazz, and her fifth overall, won the “Best Jazz Vocal Album” category. Continue reading →

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to my fellow jazz enthusiasts, as always it’s great to be with you. Although, it’s been an extremely stressful year economically and politically for so many globally I’m thankful regardless for those of us who are still here despite the mayhem that’s currently causing all this strife and pain. With that said, as a optimist times like this has a tendency to draw us closer to our love ones, make new friends and on the entertainment side of the spectrum expand our music collection to give us a positive outlet to delve into. In this case, as music goes so far this has been an exceptional year jazz wise. Therefore, this among many reasons led me to return and share with you a few of my favorite jazz albums that I stumbled into this year. If you haven’t, I hope that you find time to listen some of these titles (their well worth your effort). If not, please share with us some of your favorite recordings you’ve embraced this year. Thanks in advance, I’ll be delighted to hear from you!

The following selections in no particular order are some of my favorite Jazz albums for 2011!

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In my absence, I appreciate those of you who drop by and followed me on Twitter at your convince. One thing for sure, I plan to return in the near future to continue sharing with you some of the finest jazz, news, and reviews available.

For more than two decades, drummer, producer and vocalist Terri Lyne Carrington has crafted an eclectic brand of jazz that incorporates elements of bebop, soul, funk and much more. Since her debut in 1989, the GRAMMY®-nominated artist has established a reputation for assembling artists of varying styles and perspectives to create music that adheres to the traditions of jazz yet speaks to a much broader and more diverse audience. Carrington brings this same diverse sensibility to her new recording The Mosaic Project, an album that once again gathers a myriad of voices and crystallizes them into a multi-faceted whole that far outweighs the sum of its parts.
“Everything about this recording is about making a larger picture out of many various elements,” says Carrington, who produced the 14-song set. “I assembled several friends – most of whom I’ve performed with in the past, and all of whom bring their own individual story – to help me create the big picture. For as talented as each of them are as individuals, when I put them all together, I have a much greater musical story – one that can be told in an interesting and compelling way.” Continue reading →

Hebert-Carrington Media (HCM) co-founder Terri Lyne Carrington continues her visionary musical odyssey by way of The Mosaic Project (GrooveJazz Media/Video Arts Music), her ambitious cross genre production featuring some of the world’s top musicians. The album will debut in Japan on September 1st in support of performances at Blue Note Tokyo, September 4th and Tokyo Jazz Festival, September 5th.

“These are my friends, mostly old friends, and some new friends … and this is a mosaic of colors, shapes and textures, making a picture that I hope is informative and enjoyable to our fans.” – Terri Lyne Carrington